Pages

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

New Gym

I joined a new gym over the weekend. I no longer have the challenging hills of Connecticut or access to my treadmill (until hubby comes down). I also now live close enough to a gym that offers my favorite group classes. I'm not a Zumba girl. I'm also not the type that likes hip hop workout music or "dance" moves. I pretty much feel the same about cycling classes. I don't like spin classes that take me on an imaginary "journey" or that last an hour and 15 minutes. This is why I like Les Mills classes. They are structured group classes with no more than nine songs, seven of which are core workout songs. The instructors cannot deviate from the format of the classes. However, they can change up the music two weeks after a new release. If I recall, new releases happen about every 8-12 weeks.When I lived in Florida prior to moving to Connecticut, I was a member of Lifestyle Family Fitness. I loved my gym. The instructors were great and all they offered were Les Mills courses. Unfortunately, a few weeks prior to moving down to Florida, I found out that super gym - LA Fitness - bought up Lifestyle Family Fitness. They also offer their own courses. When hubby and I were members in Connecticut before our wedding, the spin classes were always empty. I tried a couple of their group courses and was completely turned off by the format and lack of structure. So I worked out on the eliptical and lifted weights with my hubby.The gym I joined last week, Kinetix, is small but clean and provides brand new machines. The staff is friendly and helpful without the typical sales pressures of most gyms. They offer my two favorite Les Mills courses, Body Combat and RPM. RPM is a spin class that provides interval training. A lot of spin classes I've taken are just constant go-go-go with no break. You have your regulars in the front of the class spinning their legs like little hamsters on a wheel for over an hour. My little legs need some doping to keep up. With RPM (Rapid Power in Motion), you start slow and build momentum with ups and downs in between songs.Body Combat is my favorite. And although my feet hurt afterward, it's addicting. It's basically kickboxing to techno music. In a way, it's empowering (and burns over 500 calories in an hour). Halfway through you slow things down and work on moves to strengthen your core. The Muay Thai track is the hardest, involving lots of upper and lower body work. It's fast paced and really makes you sweat. After seven songs, you do upper and lower body work on floor mats before cooling down. It's a great workout!